ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons wanted a Week 18 win against the New Orleans Saints — badly — and got it Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Final score: 19-17
Why it's important: The Falcons finish the 2025 season with an 8-9 record and third in the NFC South.
Key takeaway: It wasn't the Falcons' cleanest performance, but as head coach Raheem Morris has preached all season, the team found a way to win. Atlanta has done so in its last four games overall, closing out the schedule on a high note.
Key moment: Falcons cornerback Dee Alford intercepted Saints quarterback Tyler Shough late in the fourth quarter. Shough's pass was intended for wide receiver Dante Pettis near the first-down marker, but Alford jumped the route and returned the pick 59 yards. The Saints had just gotten into the Falcons' red zone, so Alford's turnover prevented New Orleans from possibly scoring and taking the lead.
- More: On the answering drive, Falcons kicker Zane Gonzalez made a 38-yard field goal to give Atlanta a two-possession lead.
Standout performance: Bradley Pinion. The Falcons' punter pinned two punts inside the 20-yard line. He leads the NFL with 34 punts pinned within the red zone this season.
- More: The best starting field position for the Saints against the Falcons' punt coverage was the 25-yard line.
Number to know: 57. The number of sacks the Falcons totaled this season, setting a single-season record. Atlanta needed two to match the record. It got four thanks to edge rusher James Pearce Jr. (two) and defensive linemen Kentavius Street and LaCale London.
- More: Pearce broke the record with his sack against Saints quarterback Tyler Shough at the 12:30 mark in the third quarter. He then pushed the Falcons' new record ahead on the very next play with another sack.
Player milestones:
- Safety Xavier Watts recovered a fumble in the first quarter. He's the first Falcons rookie with at least five interceptions and a fumble recovery since linebacker Al Richardson in 1980. Richardson had seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
- Defensive lineman Kentavius Street sacked Saints quarterback Tyler Shough on the last play of the first quarter. That put Street at 10 career sacks and two this season. Street last had a multi-sack season in 2022, when he had 3.5 sacks for the Saints.
- Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. had two sacks against Shough, giving him 10.5 sacks this season. That count is the most by a rookie since outside linebacker Micah Parsons had 13 for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
Injury updates:
- Cornerback Cobee Bryant went down after he shoved running back Audric Estime out of bounds after an 8-yard completion on a first-down play in the first quarter. Bryant was ruled out with a concussion.
- Edge rusher Khalid Kareem was evaluated for a concussion at the end of the third quarter and was cleared to return.
A quick tweet: Tori McElhaney, Will McFadden and Terrin Waack share their gut reactions to Sunday's outcome in 280 characters or fewer.
- McElhaney: How long until the Panthers erect a Zane Gonzalez statue in Charlotte?
- McFadden: The season is literally over, and I still haven't come to terms with how good the pass rush has been.
- Waack: The Panthers should send the Falcons a thank-you gift.
Setting the storylines:
- Week 18: Inactives | Practice squad elevation
- Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his 229-yard performance in Atlanta's win against the Los Angeles Rams.
- Tori McElhaney answered the following question in the latest mailbag: Does Atlanta's late-season surge change opinions of 2025?
- The Falcons' three-game win streak entering Sunday's game proved Atlanta still had fight in it despite being eliminated from the playoffs.
- The Falcons wanted to finish the season on a high note with a win against their biggest rival.
- Half of the 14 NFL expert picks compiled each week predicted the Falcons would beat the Saints.
- Catch up on all the news that came out in the lead-up to Sunday's game here.
Looking forward: That's it. The Falcons' season is over.
